re: We were taught that it was about the impressment of sailors and that we stopped that so we won.
well a little more--Jackson's battle at N. O. is always trotted out, our big victory, as proof that we would have won- and the burning of Washington-- and the heroic rescue of Washingtons portrait.. but yes-- it is always presented as "the english where being bad, we had a war, the badness stopped" ergo-- we won.
All history is written by the winners-- we here in US still have trouble admitting how wrong we were to get involved with Vietnam, and how much wrong we did there.. my early education was at a catholic school-- and as result - i learned about Henry VIII's daughter-- "good Queen Mary"-- who tried to restore the catholic church to England-- by killing as many heritics as she could.. she is more commonly known in history as "bloody mary"-- and i fully confess to having very little real knowledge of african history (the congo comes to mind)-- Lubumba, and Mabutu (not sure of spelling) where presented as heathens-- and murderers-- and 7 nuns where matyred.. no facts--
just emotions.. interesting how the choice of words-- can change view of history--
